Tak health agencies on alert for cholera after two deaths in Myanmar
Local agencies in Tak province are watching closely for cholera after the disease killed two people and infected 300 others in Shwe Kokko town in Myanmar, the Public Health Ministry’s Regional Office 2 said on Saturday.
The regional office’s acting inspector general, Dr Suphachok Wechaphanphaesat, explained that Shwe Kokko Hospital had found a lot of patients who developed diarrhoea, citing a report from the Tak Public Health Office. Watery diarrhoea can be a symptom of cholera, a bacterial disease that can be deadly if untreated.
Initially, patients tested positive for cholera, he said, adding that 300 people who developed diarrhoea had been found this month. Of them, 56 were hospitalised and two had died, he said.
He added that Mae Ramat Hospital in Tak has supplied drugs and medical supplies to Shwe Kokko Hospital to help contain the spread of disease in the area.
Suphachok confirmed that local agencies in Tak have been instructed to monitor the situation and prepare for a possible outbreak of cholera, such as diagnosing samples from diarrhoea patients, preparing drugs and medical supplies, and boosting awareness among people.
District Public Health Offices have been instructed to inspect food outlets in communities, and inform networks to monitor the situation closely.
Suphachok also asked community networks and village health volunteers, as well as operators of freight forwarders, ferries and schools to undergo hygiene practice strictly, including consuming cooked foods and washing hands.
People who develop diarrhoea should see a doctor immediately, he added.
The Ratchamanu task force, responsible for ensuring safety along the Thailand-Myanmar border in Tak province, has requested that people suspend travel between the two countries for one month until the situation improves.
Soldiers stationed at the Thailand-Myanmar border have been instructed to wear facemasks and medical gloves, and to strictly adhere to hygiene practices.
